Joint discovery by Armenian-German team in ancient city of Artaxata

ArmInfo. Archaeologists from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and the University of Munster in Germany have discovered the remains of a previously unknown early Christian church  in the ancient city of Artaxata (modern Artashat). The find consists of an octagonal building with cruciform extensions. This is stated on the website of the University of Munster, Germany.

According to Professor Achim Lichtenberger of the University, the church dates back to the 6th century. At the same time, he referred to it as sensational evidence of early Christianity in Armenia.  In turn, NAS RA doctor Mkrtich Zardaryan emphasized: .

According to the source, the octagonal building, around 30 meters in diameter, had a simple mortar floor and terracotta tiles. Finds of marble indicate that it was lavishly decorated with this material imported from the Mediterranean. The team studied the church using geophysical methods.  An Armenian-German research team has been exploring Artaxata in the Ararat Valley since 2018. The excavation project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Armenian National Academy of Sciences.